Frank Warren would happily match his heavyweight prodigy, Moses Itauma, with Martin Bakole after seeing the Congolese fighter labour to a draw with Efe Ajagba last Saturday.

In February, Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KOs), was on holiday in the Congo when he received an offer to fly to Saudi Arabia and replace Daniel Dubois after illness ruled the Londoner out of his IBF heavyweight title defence against Joseph Parker just 48 hours before the opening bell.

Bakole received respect — and a sizeable payday — for accepting the last minute assignment but was stopped after being floored by a Parker right hand in the second round.

Given another chance to impress on the big stage, Bakole weighed in at 299lbs for the fight with Ajagba and produced a disappointing performance.

Warren was always sceptical as to whether Bakole deserved his reputation as the bogeyman of the heavyweight division and after witnessing his short notice loss to Parker and the draw with Ajagba from ringside, he is extremely confident that both 20 year-old Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) and another of his highly rated heavyweights, two-weight world champion Lawrence Okolie (21-1, 16 KOs), have the beating of the 33 year-old.

In fact, he raised the idea to Bakole’s promoter, Ben Shalom, last Saturday night.

“One million percent,” Warren told the Ring when asked about the possibility of Itauma facing Bakole.

"If you went and picked the phone up now and asked George [his son] and Shalom, who was there, I said that to Shalom.

“I said I'd do that fight in a heartbeat.

“And I also said to Lawrence Okolie, ‘If you got caught by him, you should be arrested for loitering.’”